The Attack On Rue Plumet:A Slightly Different Take
by Athena Writer 24601
Summary: This is my version of the attack on Rue Plumet. Enjoy!


The Attack On Rue Plumet: A Slightly Different Take

"He doesn't love you, Ponine," she said quietly to herself, watching Marius and Cosette swoon over each other. She stood outside the gate in the cold, wrapping her coat tighter around her thin body. She was supposed to be keeping guard. "Very much like you, M'sieur Marius, to leave me out in the cold to watch your sorry back." Although this wasn't necessarily true-she didn't think his back was sorry, she rather liked him-she was very bitter with the girl, Cosette. The Lark, whom Marius would do anything for.

A sharp rustle in the bushes made her jump and turn around. Eponine could hear very well, being accustomed to watching out for the law. The Inspector Javert was not very forgiving, especially to street urchins.

It wasn't the Inspector, however. Rather it was someone so unpleasant she wished it was Javert instead.

"'Parnasse, what're you doing so far away from our patch?" she said nervously. She used to love Montparnasse, back when she was a foolish girl, before he broke her heart and turned into the jerk he was.

Montparnasse grinned. "We're going to rob this house. It's a rich man, he'll have plenty. Don't you remember, 'Ponine, he's the one that got away the other day? He's a con, got a number on his chest. There's probably a fortune in that house of his." Parnasse disappeared into the shadows, probably to help lead the rest of the men here.

Fear gripped her like an icy cold hand. The rest of her father's gang would show up soon, and she'd be helpless. "Oh, Lord, somebody help me. Dear God, what'll I do?" she muttered, terrified. "He's going to think it's an ambush, and that I'm in it too!"

She hid behind a side of the gate, out of view, shaking. Her father would murder her if she gave them away, but she couldn't just let them get into Cosette's house. Marius would think she did it on purpose, blew the whistle on them, showed her father and his gang where to look. And then her only friend would be gone and he'd hate her forever. "What'll I do? What'll I say? I've got to warn them here, I've got to find a way!"

She fell silent as her father and the rest of the frightening men burst through the alley to in front of the gate. Her father crept through, snarling, confirming to the other men that this was indeed the right house. He was still angry that this man had "borrowed" Cosette. He was planning revenge.

Angered, one of the men stepped forward. "I don't care who the hell you rob! Let's just finish the job and get our money!"

"You, shut your mouth!" her father yelled. Really, Eponine thought, it was a miracle Cosette and Marius hadn't heard all the ruckus. They were probably too naive and in love to notice anything other than themselves.

Thenardier shoved the man hard, and he went stumbling backwards-right into the place where Eponine was hiding. "What have we here?" the man said, standing up and pushing her out so everyone could see her.

"Who is this hussy?" her father growled, giving her a kick. She scrambled to her feet as another man grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.

"It's your brat Eponine, don't you know your own kid? Why's she here?" the man barked. Quite like her father to forget who she was and have to have his filthy gang members remind him. At least _they _recognized her.

Thenardier snarled, "Eponine, get on home, you're not needed, there's enough hands here without you!" He gave her a hard push, and she slapped his hand away.

Scowling, she brushed herself off and said, "I know this house, I tell you, and there's nothing here you want. Just an old man and a girl, who live ordinary lives."

"Don't interfere!" he bellowed, grabbing her arm and digging his fingers in it painfully. "You've got some gall! Take care, young miss, you've got a lot to say!"

"She's going soft!" a man said.

"Happens to all." another told him briefly.

Thenardier lunged forward suddenly and punched Eponine in the ribs. She gasped and stumbled away from him, back towards the gate. 'Parnasse caught her, grabbing her shoulders roughly and stepping hard on her ankle. She let out a small cry as it twisted and he hissed in a mocking voice, "Go home, 'Ponine, go home, you're in the way!"

She wrenched away from him, ignoring the pain. She'd finally come up with a decision, even if this was one she would regret for a while. "I'm going to scream!" she shouted, pointing back behind the gate. "I'm going to warn them!"

Her father snatched her by the hair and pushed her against the wall. "One little scream, and you'll regret it for a year," he snarled.

She heard some of the men making cruel comments about them both, how they were fighting like cats. She gagged at her father's awful breath as he roared, "Not a sound out of you!" At least she knew to keep her teeth clean.

"Well, I told you I'd do it, I told you I would!" she said, twisting around to the direction of the courtyard behind the gate and screaming as loud as she could.

Her high-pitched shriek was cut off soon as her father slammed his fist into her throat and forced a hand over her mouth. She gagged and bit down as hard as she could, which caused him to emit a cry of rage and pain. He slapped her hard, across the face, and pushed her onto the ground, fuming. "You wait my girl," he screamed, planting a hard kick to her side. She shrieked again, hoping by now Marius had hear her. "You'll rue this night. I'll make you scream, you'll scream all right!"

Eponine cringed, not wanting to think about the beating that awaited for her when she got home. Her father yelled at the others to go as he scrambled away, leaving her crumpled on the pavement.

A few moments later, the gate burst open and Marius ran out, Cosette following him closely. "What happened, 'Ponine?" he asked gently, helping her up.

"My father..." she muttered. "

"It was your scream that sent them away!" he said, grinning. "Once more, 'Ponine, saving the day!" He turned to Cosette. "Dearest Cosette, my friend 'Ponine brought me to you and showed me the way."

Cosette smiled at Eponine, and it was all she could do not to attack her on the spot. Why did the Lark have to be so kind? No wonder Marius was madly in love with her. It was an awful feeling, knowing your best friend loved someone else.

Cosette turned and looked panicked. "It's my father, he's heard the racket. You must leave!"

"He's coming, we mustn't be seen!" Marius said. "Goodbye, my love." Then he grabbed Eponine's hand and they darted away, into the shadows, continuing to run even when they were out of sight.

After a while, Eponine stumbled and fell, her hurt ankle slowing her down. "'Ponine!" Marius asked worriedly, "what's wrong?"

"My ankle," she said, wincing. "My father got a bit...carried away. It's going to be even worse when I get home tonight."

Marius eyed her, concerned. "You could stay at my flat."

Eponine waved him off. "No, no, I couldn't ask you to do that. Besides, I'll be in trouble if I don't come home soon. Get beaten more than I would if I'm on time."

"But-"

"It's fine, Marius!" she said. "I'll let you know if I need your help, but as of now I don't!"

He sighed. "Alright. But I'm right next door, and if I hear _anything _out of the ordinary, I'm-"

"I'll see you tomorrow, M'sieur." she cut him off, standing up and limping off to her rundown home. She saw Marius follow her and then turn to go into his home.

As soon as the door was shut in the dark house, a hand that could only be her father's grabbed her roughly by the hair and slammed her head onto the table. "What the _hell_, Eponine?" he roared. "I'm going to make you _pay. _We would've gotten a fortune at that place."

She opened her mouth to apologize, but was stopped when he punched her stomach. The air left her lungs and she coughed and gasped like a fish on land until she caught her breath. "Father, I'm so-"

"Don't give me this "I'm sorry" crap!" he growled, driving his foot behind her knees so she fell to the floor. He landed a harsh blow to her skull and kicked her side violently as she screamed.

_M'sieur Marius, where are you? _she thought as her father picked her up and began slamming her into the wall, over and over again as she struggled. The wall was the same one that they shared with Marius, so perhaps he'd hear something. It would probably be better if he ignored them and went to bed. Her father might hurt him. He should be used to hearing screams by now, but never had it gotten this bad.

Her head hurt horribly from being hit against the wall. It was really surprising that her neck hadn't snapped yet from all the force.

Her father yanked out a knife and she shrieked, knowing what was coming. He pinned her down and began cutting her, slowly and agonizingly. She screamed and tried to throw him off, but he was too strong. He sliced her face and her arms and her side, and was just getting to her legs when the door burst open.

"What the hell-" he mumbled, but stopped as Marius slammed into him and knocked him off of Eponine.

Marius pressed him against the table and snarled, "Don't you ever touch her again."

Her father gave a strangled response and Marius threw him to the ground. "Come on, 'Ponine, let's go," he said gently, picking her up despite the blood.

"Wh...where are we going?" she murmured, dazed.

"Shh..." he said softly, brushing hair out of her eyes as she stared up at him. It concerned him, how light and easy she was to carry. She shouldn't have been that light. "It's going to be okay, 'Ponine. I'm going to make sure you're safe."

She nodded and drifted off, unconscious, as he carried her into his flat and bandaged up her wounds. He may not have loved her romantically, but he loved her as a friend and was incredibly thankful of how she had made this sacrifice to save him and Cosette.


End file.
